STRIPED: Harvard’s initiative fighting the weight loss industry

The pharmaceutical industry is largely unregulated, allowing for a dangerous and uncontrolled market. In 1944, former Utah senator Orin Hatch established legislation excluding dietary supplements from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Instead, consumers must rely on the claims of companies about the safety and efficacy of their products.  

The lack of regulation is detrimental. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA recorded 23,000 emergency room visits due to supplement use, and over half were due to supplements involving female patients and weight loss products. In fact, the global weight loss and weight management market has enjoyed recent surges of $224.27 billion in 2021 and is projected to surpass $405.40 by 2030 as society adamantly encourages weight loss as a mechanism to obtain better health, higher status, and attractiveness.  

Medical research also shows the damaging effects of dietary supplements and weight loss pills. Bryn Austin, professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health highlights that dietary supplements are especially harmful for the younger generation who believe in the notion that physical appearance is a defining feature, increasing their susceptibility to using weight control methods. Austin’s study shows that diet pill use increases eating disorders among young women, and the consumption of dietary supplements for weight loss, muscle building and energy increases risk for severe medical conditions in children and young adults. Additionally, according to a study conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), diet pill use is associated with abuse of said-substances and increases in weight-control behaviors such as vomiting. Further research indicates that the abuse of diet pills is present in 50% of individuals with eating disorders.

One of the most notable bills protecting us from the aforementioned products is the Senate Bill S52823A/Assembly Bill A5610A, also known as the New York Out of Kid’s Hands Bill. Pioneered by STRIPED and Boston Children’s Hospital, the policy targets the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building to anyone under 18 years of age. Similar policy initiatives currently extend across many states including Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, Maryland.

Last December, New York Governor Hochul vetoed the desired bill despite enormous support in the assembly and senate, the hard work and dedication of STRIPED, its partners and the community at large. But, the community continues to push relentlessly for its passage. 

The STRIPED Youth Corps is at the forefront of this movement. It’s an advocacy extension of STRIPED that works to talk to policymakers to advocate for this cause, explained Monique Santoso, STRIPED’s Program Coordinator. Santoso’s experiences and research motivates her work and belief that youth and especially youth of color bring an important and personal perspective of what is going on in their lives and their experiences with body image.  

“We hope to provide the skills, the training and the resources that youth require to be civic minded and engaged political decision-makers” Santoso said about the youth team. 

Ryan Ahmed, a former STRIPED Youth Corps member, is at the forefront of meetings with representatives to pass these bills. He explains how predatory technology like advertisements target youth and continue to perpetuate dangerous messages, encouraging weight loss and muscle building through over-the-counter methods. Additionally, like Santoso, Ahmed’s passion for the cause derives from personal experience. 

“We’re not just talking about the scientific perspective. We’re also talking about young people who are directly affected by this issue,” Ahmed said. “I tried these products, and they’re really dangerous. Now, I’m speaking about my story to lawmakers.”

Fortunately, this hard work has paid off as recently, the New York State Senate and Assembly passed the New York Out of Kid’s Hands Bill with the support and leadership of Senator Shelly Mayer and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic. With even greater support in this second attempt to pass the New York legislation, the bill will be scheduled to reach Governor Hochul’s office in the coming weeks. 

STRIPED, the Youth Corps, and the community of supporters are hopeful. STRIPED encourages youth to sign on to the Youth Survey and sign on letters, share it in their communities, and even contact lawmakers to offer them resources about this bill.

This bill will return more power to parents and medical professionals by removing the accessibility of these dangerous products to children. But, the work doesn’t end here. While this policy is a massive step in the right direction, it will be critical to continue education and consistent action towards eating disorder prevention. Body Positive Alliance is proud to be one of several like-minded organizations supporting STRIPED and this initiative as an official signee onto the Community Support Letter for the legislation.